GMG Classical Music Forum

Its a pity that most new members, and quite a lot of members never introduced themselves. You see them coming, but that's about it.
The need to protect instead of share some insights into who you are, and what your favourite composers, and a little background. Instead empty profiles. Those people stay for the most part strangers to me, not really joining the community at GMG.
I may be old fashioned, but if you visit or want to become a member, its normal to introduce yourself, right?
Polite too!
:)

Well, I may be guilty of this.  :-[

I'm Paul. I live in Cleveland.   I used to post here under a different name, and the only reason I'm here under this new name is because I completely forgot what the old name/password combo was.

Into:  Mahler, Beethoven, Stravinsky, Bruckner, Sibelius, "lesser-known" symphonic composers (Atterberg, Holmboe, Tubin, etc).

Also:  Bach, "early music," string quartets.

Also: Jazz, electronic music, Sigur Ros, U2, REM, Bowling for Soup, Great Big Sea, Moxy Fruvous.

I play bass. I compose. I have a recording studio where I work with singer/songwriters.

I'm Paul. I live in Beijing, China.   I used to post here under springleft, but only for a very short time. Some of my wife Vanessa's post were actually by me as well.

Into:  Mahler, Bach, Carter, Medtner, Feldman, and many many more.

Also:  Great pianists like Richter, Sofronitsky, Cortot, Friedman, etc.

Also: Jazz.

I play no instruments, but I did compose for fun for a shortwhile, with one work premiered in Durham, England and one in Australia. I write poetry. My real profession is --- shrink.

I can't recall ever posting an intro on any forum I've signed up to - it felt ostentatious, especially if I don't yet know whether I will post there very often. I suppose that my post count shows that I post here very often - I wish it was lower :P

Name: Sara. I live in Somerset, England (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somerset) by birth, and also choice - the idea of living in other places generally do not appeal, as I seem to prioritise in-depth familiarity over discovery
Classical genres: Early music, 20th century Romanticism, 20th century misc.
Top composers (of many): Haydn, Sibelius, Machaut, Monteverdi, Vaughan Williams, Berlioz, Verdi
Preferred forms: Chamber, ensemble, choral
Amateur interests in: European political/diplomatic history pre 20th century (the weird things behind all the wars), pre-baroque architecture - especially pre-Norman, (very poor) cookery , pre-18th century British poetry (John Donne (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Donne) especially hits the spot due to the joy of speaking many of his works aloud). I don't play an instrument to a competent level, but enjoy banging around on various things to make rudimentary ensemble songs with friends (pretty much spurred on by my discovery of how free-form Medieval music was when compared to baroque and later)

That felt like filling in a C.V. :)

Quote from: gmstudio on November 29, 2007, 07:57:43 AM
Well, I may be guilty of this.  :-[

I'm Paul. I live in Cleveland.   I used to post here under a different name, and the only reason I'm here under this new name is because I completely forgot what the old name/password combo was.

Into:  Mahler, Beethoven, Stravinsky, Bruckner, Sibelius, "lesser-known" symphonic composers (Atterberg, Holmboe, Tubin, etc).

Also:  Bach, "early music," string quartets.

Also: Jazz, electronic music, Sigur Ros, U2, REM, Bowling for Soup, Great Big Sea, Moxy Fruvous.

I play bass. I compose. I have a recording studio where I work with singer/songwriters.

Thank you, this is exactly what I mean, not much trouble, and you get a identity in the bargain. :)

Quote from: springrite on November 29, 2007, 08:04:05 AM
I'm Paul. I live in Beijing, China.   I used to post here under springleft, but only for a very short time. Some of my wife Vanessa's post were actually by me as well.

Into:  Mahler, Bach, Carter, Medtner, Feldman, and many many more.

Also:  Great pianists like Richter, Sofronitsky, Cortot, Friedman, etc.

Also: Jazz.

I play no instruments, but I did compose for fun for a shortwhile, with one work premiered in Durham, England and one in Australia. I write poetry. My real profession is --- shrink.

Thanks Paul, also a wonderful contribution......

Quote from: Lethe on November 29, 2007, 08:55:34 AM
I can't recall ever posting an intro on any forum I've signed up to - it felt ostentatious, especially if I don't yet know whether I will post there very often. I suppose that my post count shows that I post here very often - I wish it was lower :P

Name: Sara. I live in Somerset, England (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somerset) by birth, and also choice - the idea of living in other places generally do not appeal, as I seem to prioritise in-depth familiarity over discovery
Classical genres: Early music, 20th century Romanticism, 20th century misc.
Top composers (of many): Haydn, Sibelius, Machaut, Monteverdi, Vaughan Williams, Berlioz, Verdi
Preferred forms: Chamber, ensemble, choral
Amateur interests in: European political/diplomatic history pre 20th century (the weird things behind all the wars), pre-baroque architecture - especially pre-Norman, (very poor) cookery , pre-18th century British poetry (John Donne (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Donne) especially hits the spot due to the joy of speaking many of his works aloud). I don't play an instrument to a competent level, but enjoy banging around on various things to make rudimentary ensemble songs with friends (pretty much spurred on by my discovery of how free-form Medieval music was when compared to baroque and later)

That felt like filling in a C.V. :)

Sara, yes, I knew you were a woman, thank you kindly for this CV, I read it with great interest, and am stunned into admiration by you actually liking and reading John Donne, count me in as a lover of his writings.
Baroque architecture, pre Norman no less, count me in as well, and as to your preferred composers, well I join you as well, apart from VW and Verdi's vocal utterings.
Somerset being my favourite spot in England, well we are being made for each other..... ;D ;D ;D

Name: Karl.

My wife Maria (http://www.geocities.com/maria_bablyak/), mom-in-law Irina and I live in (near, actually) Boston, Massachusetts (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boston,_Massachusetts);  we are all "new" to Boston (we've lived here almost 12 years), I am native to the greater New York City area, Maria was born in St Petersburg (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Petersburg) (the real St Petersburg).
Classical genres: Pretty much enjoy some music from all eras, but my listening heavily favors the 19th century and recenter, increased emphasis on recenter.
Top composers (of many): Berlioz, Sibelius, Stravinsky, Prokofiev, Shostakovich, Vaughan Williams, Chopin, Tchaikovsky

Quote from: karlhenning on November 29, 2007, 09:19:21 AM
Name: Karl.

My wife Maria (http://www.geocities.com/maria_bablyak/), mom-in-law Irina and I live in (near, actually) Boston, Massachusetts (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boston,_Massachusetts);  we are all "new" to Boston (we've lived here almost 12 years), I am native to the greater New York City area, Maria was born in St Petersburg (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Petersburg) (the real St Petersburg).
Classical genres: Pretty much enjoy some music from all eras, but my listening heavily favors the 19th century and recenter, increased emphasis on recenter.
Top composers (of many): Berlioz, Sibelius, Stravinsky, Prokofiev, Shostakovich, Vaughan Williams, Chopin, Tchaikovsky

I admire the art work of your wife Maria very much, and some of my friends that I directed to the link, are pretty enthusiastic too.....
I have no trouble at all to identify myself with your list of composers.
:)

Quote from: karlhenning on November 29, 2007, 09:19:21 AM
Name: Karl.

My wife Maria (http://www.geocities.com/maria_bablyak/), mom-in-law Irina and I live in (near, actually) Boston, Massachusetts (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boston,_Massachusetts);  we are all "new" to Boston (we've lived here almost 12 years), I am native to the greater New York City area, Maria was born in St Petersburg (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Petersburg) (the real St Petersburg).
Classical genres: Pretty much enjoy some music from all eras, but my listening heavily favors the 19th century and recenter, increased emphasis on recenter.
Top composers (of many): Berlioz, Sibelius, Stravinsky, Prokofiev, Shostakovich, Vaughan Williams, Chopin, Tchaikovsky

How did you meet your wife?

Hey, SARA: we share our interest on history, but mine
is on the first half of the 20th.century, and in particular
IIWW. I've read a lot about it, and have many books on
the subject, although here in Buenos Aires are rather
difficult to find in english.

Name: Don

My wife Ellen Jane and I have lived in Albuquerque, New Mexico since 1988.  Both of us originate from the Boston area.  We have three adult children and one grandchild (now 12 years old).  They all live here in Albuquerque except for my younger adult son who is a chemist in the Boston area.

Most of my work career was with the Army Corps of Engineers; I headed their real estate department in the southwest part of the country.  Retired at age 55 simply because I could. 

As a youngster, I took piano and clarinet lessons in addition to music theory and composition.  As a teenager, I gave it all up.  In my mid-thirties, I got back into classical music exclusively.

Top Composers:  Bach heads the list by a great distance.  Next in my affections, in no particular order, are Zemlinsky, Scriabin, Shostakovich, Weinberg and Schumann. 

Least Appreciated Composers:  Vivaldi and Hanson.

Major Dislikes:  Advertisers and anyone who has a penchant for self-pity.

Quote from: Don on November 29, 2007, 11:45:34 AM
Least Appreciated Composers:  [...] Hanson.

I tried and failed to enjoy him, too. All the stranger, as I generally like composers of that style...

Quote from: Lethe on November 29, 2007, 11:49:39 AM
I tried and failed to enjoy him, too. All the stranger, as I generally like composers of that style...

Sara, it took me quite some time, to accept his sound world, but after several hearings, I am getting the hang of it.... :)

Quote from: Don on November 29, 2007, 11:45:34 AM
Name: Don

My wife Ellen Jane and I have lived in Albuquerque, New Mexico since 1988.  Both of us originate from the Boston area.  We have three adult children and one grandchild (now 12 years old).  They all live here in Albuquerque except for my younger adult son who is a chemist in the Boston area.

Most of my work career was with the Army Corps of Engineers; I headed their real estate department in the southwest part of the country.  Retired at age 55 simply because I could. 

As a youngster, I took piano and clarinet lessons in addition to music theory and composition.  As a teenager, I gave it all up.  In my mid-thirties, I got back into classical music exclusively.

Top Composers:  Bach heads the list by a great distance.  Next in my affections, in no particular order, are Zemlinsky, Scriabin, Shostakovich, Weinberg and Schumann. 

Least Appreciated Composers:  Vivaldi and Hanson.

Major Dislikes:  Advertisers and anyone who has a penchant for self-pity.

Thank you Don, quite a interesting story. :)

I think I did this once, but then I left.

Hi, my name is Elias, and I am an aspiring number theorist. I am from San Diego, Ca, but soon will be in Panama city, Panama. If you don't know, I am a huge Mozart fan! But over last few months I have started admiring new composers, Handel, Schumann, Dvorkak, and of course Brahms  ;D My other interests are cartoons, proper digestion, women, astronomy, and perfecting mundane tasks.

Quote from: E..L..I..A..S.. =) on November 29, 2007, 12:35:31 PM
I think I did this once, but then I left.

Hi, my name is Elias, and I am an aspiring number theorist. I am from San Diego, Ca, but soon will be in Panama city, Panama. If you don't know, I am a huge Mozart fan! But over last few months I have started admiring new composers, Handel, Schumann, Dvorkak, and of course Brahms  ;D My other interests are cartoons, proper digestion, women, astronomy, and perfecting mundane tasks.

Well, I'm a scorpio, and you're starting to piss me off. ;D

Quote from: E..L..I..A..S.. =) on November 29, 2007, 12:35:31 PM
I think I did this once, but then I left.

Hi, my name is Elias, and I am an aspiring number theorist. I am from San Diego, Ca, but soon will be in Panama city, Panama. If you don't know, I am a huge Mozart fan! But over last few months I have started admiring new composers, Handel, Schumann, Dvorkak, and of course Brahms  ;D My other interests are cartoons, proper digestion, women, astronomy, and perfecting mundane tasks.

Yes, I thought you might cook up something like this, I found the part about digestion and women fascinating..... ;D
Perfecting mundane tasks, well now, please go in detail about this aspect, I am interested in how to do that!

Quote from: E..L..I..A..S.. =) on November 29, 2007, 12:35:31 PM
I think I did this once, but then I left.

Hi, my name is Elias, and I am an aspiring number theorist. I am from San Diego, Ca, but soon will be in Panama city, Panama. If you don't know, I am a huge Mozart fan! But over last few months I have started admiring new composers, Handel, Schumann, Dvorkak, and of course Brahms  ;D My other interests are cartoons, proper digestion, women, astronomy, and perfecting mundane tasks.

Como anda tu español? Y te aguantas bien el calor?. En Panamá
las temperaturas promedio están en el orden de los 35/40o C. :o

My name is Mark, and I live in a tiny village in Hampshire, England. I'm married and have one daughter who's now seven weeks old. I work as a freelance advertising copywriter, primarily in recruitment communications but also with start-up enterprises. I'm 34, tee total and vegetarian, and classical music has been my abiding passion for several years - though it truly 'clicked home' last year. ;)

My favourite composers include (in some kind of order): Beethoven; Sibelius; Saint-Saens; Finzi; Dvorak; Rachmaninov and more. I'm principally interested in music from the time of Beethoven to the demise of Finzi (mid 20th century), though early music from the renaissance (polyphony in particular) and early 20th century British composers are growing areas of fascination for me. If forced to choose a single period of music to listen to exclusively, I'd say Romantic. Happily, I'm not being forced to choose. ;D

I have no time for hobbies other than collecting and listening to classical music, and unusually for a writer, I don't read much. When I do, it tends to be very heavy-going esoteric or metaphysical literature from about 1875 onwards. I read slowly, as I need to digest every line. It's an obsession.

Three facts about me that few people know:

1) I've seriously considered becoming a vicar on three separate occasions
2) It took me eight years from passing my driving test to actually driving a car
3) I have a half-sister whom I've never met


There, will that do?

Quote from: Mark on November 29, 2007, 01:13:36 PM
There, will that do?

Would you consider a vicarage again?

Quote from: karlhenning on November 29, 2007, 01:18:38 PM
Would you consider a vicarage again?

Don't know. Doesn't sit well with my metaphysical beliefs, I suppose.

I'm nothing if not a paradox. 8)

Quote from: Mark on November 29, 2007, 01:13:36 PM
My name is Mark, and I live in a tiny village in Hampshire, England. I'm married and have one daughter who's now seven weeks old. I work as a freelance advertising copywriter, primarily in recruitment communications but also with start-up enterprises. I'm 34, tee total and vegetarian, and classical music has been my abiding passion for several years - though it truly 'clicked home' last year. ;)

My favourite composers include (in some kind of order): Beethoven; Sibelius; Saint-Saens; Finzi; Dvorak; Rachmaninov and more. I'm principally interested in music from the time of Beethoven to the demise of Finzi (mid 20th century), though early music from the renaissance (polyphony in particular) and early 20th century British Composers are growing areas of fascination for me. If forced to choose a single period of music to listen to exclusively, I'd say Romantic. Happily, I'm not being forced to choose. ;D

I have no time for hobbies other than collecting and listening to classical music, and unusually for a writer, I don't read much. When I do, it tends to be very heavy-going esoteric or metaphysical literature from about 1875 onwards. I read slowly, as I need to digest every line. It's an obsession.

Three facts about me that few people know:

1) I've seriously considered becoming a vicar on three separate occasions
2) It took me eight years from passing my driving test to actually driving a car
3) I have a half-sister whom I've never met


There, will that do?

Perfect.... :)

Quote from: Mark on November 29, 2007, 01:20:21 PM
I'm nothing if not a paradox. 8)

Well, mind no one tries wrapping you up in an enigma . . . .

Quote from: Harry on November 29, 2007, 12:51:04 PM
Yes, I thought you might cook up something like this, I found the part about digestion and women fascinating..... ;D
Perfecting mundane tasks, well now, please go in detail about this aspect, I am interested in how to do that!

Yes, I refuse to eat bread if it doesn't have the right amount of fiber. Isn't that what any woman wants, a man who knows how to digest? Generally in my diet, I eat the same thing everyday for breakfast and dinner, and I let myself choose a sensible lunch. Works great, I think I should write a book :D

For the second example it can be anything from my morning routine, to the most effective way to peel a cucumber. I guess you can use those gloves that peel things, but I like to use the regular peelers, and I try to make all the peels the same length. Then I cut off the edges of the cucumber, and bam you have a perfectly peeled cucumber that was done efficiently and artfully.

QuoteComo anda tu español? Y te aguantas bien el calor?. En Panamá
las temperaturas promedio están en el orden de los 35/40o C. Shocked

Pues hablo espanol mas o menos, pero estoy aprendiendo italiano e son similares, siempre me confundo. Odio el calor! Cuando hace mas de come...25...me muero de el calor, pero voy a encontrar un buen trabajo alli.  Si hace 40 c me desmayo :(

Quote from: E..L..I..A..S.. =) on November 29, 2007, 02:48:58 PM
For the second example it can be anything from my morning routine, to the most effective way to peel a cucumber. I guess you can use those gloves that peel things, but I like to use the regular peelers, and I try to make all the peels the same length. Then I cut off the edges of the cucumber, and bam you have a perfectly peeled cucumber that was done efficiently and artfully.

Initiates might call this the 'Science of the Insignificant'. It's only by mastering the little things in life that we can fit ourselves for those things that are greater. ;)

Quote from: Mark on November 29, 2007, 01:13:36 PM
1) I've seriously considered becoming a vicar on three separate occasions

(http://content.answers.com/main/content/wp/en/thumb/e/ed/250px-Hyacinthbucket.jpg)

Oh, good morning Vicar, I was wondering if you could spare a bit of your most value'd time to attend one of my, humble candlelight suppers this fine November evening.

Quote from: brianrein on November 29, 2007, 03:01:31 PM
(http://content.answers.com/main/content/wp/en/thumb/e/ed/250px-Hyacinthbucket.jpg)

Oh, good morning Vicar, I was wondering if you could spare a bit of your most value'd time to attend one of my, humble candlelight suppers this fine November evening.

Patricia Routledge rocks!

Check her out on YouTube as 'Kitty', a character created by British comedienne, Victoria Wood. Classic! :)

Quote from: Mark on November 29, 2007, 01:13:36 PM
I have a half-sister whom I've never met

That's very spooky Mark - I have a half-brother whom I've never met and he lives in England :o
I think he's quite a bit older than you, though.

Quote from: sunnyside_up on November 30, 2007, 02:28:07 AM
That's very spooky Mark - I have a half-brother whom I've never met and he lives in England :o
I think he's quite a bit older than you, though.

If your real name is Sharon, PM me. ;)

Good thread.

I am a HAL 9000 computer. I am foolproof and incapable of error!

Absolute wonderful CV Kevin, a joy to read, and interesting as well.
Thank you, I know now at least, a little bit behind the person......

Hi. My name is Sarge. It's been three months since my last drink...oops, wrong group. Let me begin again.

I'm Sergeant Rock. You can call me Sarge. I'm a native of northeastern Ohio. I grew up innocent in a small town about 40 miles south of Cleveland, surrounded by farm country...a northern Mayberry. I left home at age 18 and never looked back. First stop was Athens Ohio and Ohio University. Two years later, 1969, in a bout of suicidal romantic insanity, I joined the army and served two combat tours: on the DMZ in Korea and Vietnam. I survived but not without some physical and mental damage. I then went back to university and continued my study of English Lit. But I soon felt stifled and bored. Surprising myself, and my family, I reenlisted and made the army my profession. Ten years were spent stationed in Germany where I met the future Mrs. Rock. I retired in 1991 shortly after I helped liberate Kuwait, thereby insuring a steady supply of cheap fuel for all those soccer moms and their gas-guzzling vehicles...and insuring the planet stays nicely warm.

My primary interests are wine, women and song. I collect wine, photograph women and listen to music, music from nearly every genre and time period. My classical trinity is Wagner, Mahler, Bruckner but I have nearly 400 composers in my LP/CD collection. In February 1966, at age 17, I attended my first classical concert: the Cleveland Orchestra conducted by Szell's assistant, Louis Lane. Perlman played the Tchaikovsky.

I live in the Rheinhessen wine region of Germany, in a village on the Rhine a few miles north of Worms.

Sarge

Thanks Sarge.
The intro made me laugh, it reminds me..... ;D

Quote from: Harry on November 29, 2007, 05:41:44 AM
Its a pity that most new members, and quite a lot of members never introduced themselves. You see them coming, but that's about it.
The need to protect instead of share some insights into who you are, and what your favourite composers, and a little background. Instead empty profiles. Those people stay for the most part strangers to me, not really joining the community at GMG.
I may be old fashioned, but if you visit or want to become a member, its normal to introduce yourself, right?
Polite too!

If you think it's such a good idea, Harry, why don't you start by introducing yourself?

Quote from: longears on November 30, 2007, 05:36:18 AM
If you think it's such a good idea, Harry, why don't you start by introducing yourself?

Yeah, he tells us it's not polite to just start talking without introducing ourselves, but he naturally assumes that everyone knows him  ;D

Quote from: karlhenning on November 30, 2007, 05:45:53 AM
Yeah, he tells us it's not polite to just start talking without introducing ourselves, but he naturally assumes that everyone knows him  ;D

I suspect he's being coy and just waiting for someone to ask.  It's not like him to be overtly impolite!

Quote from: longears on November 30, 2007, 05:47:00 AM
I suspect he's being coy and just waiting for someone to ask.  It's not like him to be overtly impolite!

No, indeed!

All right, out with it, Harry:  Who are you!?

Quote from: longears on November 30, 2007, 05:36:18 AM
If you think it's such a good idea, Harry, why don't you start by introducing yourself?

I did when I came to GMG in the introduction page, quite extensively my friend....I will look on the old GMG forum, and see if I can find it back...... ;D

Quote from: Harry on November 30, 2007, 05:56:07 AM
I did when I came to GMG in the introduction page, quite extensively my friend....

Well, but a number of us who have posted here, did that.

And you know, this thread is for the benefit of new members, yes?  They won't search through the old GMG archives to find out who you are, Harry  8)

Don't re-tread stale info!  We want fresh news!  ;D

Quote from: Harry on November 30, 2007, 05:56:07 AM
I did when I came to GMG in the introduction page, quite extensively my friend....I will look on the old GMG forum, and see if I can find it back...... ;D

Quote from: karlhenning on November 30, 2007, 05:59:51 AM
And you know, this thread is for the benefit of new members, yes?  They won't search through the old GMG archives to find out who you are, Harry  8)

The old forum is GONE, and - unless our Rob performs a miracle - that is permanent. :-\

Q

For anyone who has spent more than 15 minutes at GMG, Harry needs no introduction.  :D

I can sympathize with a lot of those  :D

Quote from: XB-70 Valkyrie on November 30, 2007, 03:39:40 AM


I'm Kevin, 36yrs (35) old; happily married. No kids (by choice!)   >:D. Originally from beautiful Pasadena California, I lived in Davis, California for six years while I worked on my Ph.D. in Plant Biology. I'm in Vancouver now where I hold a postdoctoral research fellowship. It is a very beautiful city with a lot to offer, but the cost of living is excessively high. We're hoping I'll find a tenure track faculty position in Oregon or Washingon where the cost of living and home ownership are vastly less.
[b]Ethnic background:[/b] Mostly Irish / German, etc.

Favorite Composers:[/b] J.S. Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, Bruckner, Wagner, Schubert, Verdi, Debussy, Shostakovich, Scriabin, Wolf, Reger


Piano: I try to practice 6-8 hrs a week. I'm currently playing Bach's French Suite No. 4, Debussy's Dancers of Delphi, etc.

Things I can live happily without

- Politics
- Apple products (e.g, Macintosh computers)
- 99.9999% of all TV and movies
- celebrities, especially those lecturing about various causes
- The comic sans font
- virtually any noise made by humans

Favorite color: GREEN (olive drab (#6B8E23) )  ;D

I prefer: Brunettes!

Quote from: springrite on November 30, 2007, 06:17:24 AM
For anyone who has spent more than 15 minutes at GMG, Harry needs no introduction.  :D

The Sonic Steamroller needs no explanation  0:)

My name you know allready....I started listening to classical music after seeing Death in Venice, hearing Chopin.....I was 17 then, ended a relationship and needed consolation, Chopin did that. After this the journey was afoot, and I never stopped to look back.
First I worked for four years doing odd jobs, then took percussion and conducting lessons, and learned to read scores. Also singing in many Choirs, and conducting small ensembles, chambermusic sized works, dabble in composing, wrote a few unfinished symphonies, and some small scaled works for Violin and piano. But that is only for private few.....I never considered it good enough. At the same time was heavily involved in ballet and wrote at least one complete choreography called Spiders, that was performed several times and videotaped.
Danced myself it it, but my body was not ready to accept such hardships. All ended into nothing however, so I started to study Philosophy and History and graduated in that, still working on my dissertation. After that I set up a CD shop in the place were I was born, the shop was famous for its extensive cd collection, and that is were the bug of buying cd's really hit me....but it was driven out of business by my co investors....
Since then I started my own business, and work at home. I am a troubleshooter regarding financial and administrative situations in divers companies.
Sing in different choirs, and conduct two of my own making, primarily Russian Orthodox music, one Choir with male only, doing monastery chant, and one that sings the things used in church.
Collector of fine music, women and wine, and peace lover.
Would this be enough Gents?
I probably forgot a few things, or muddled them up, but im grossen und gansem all is there.
O, yes,  a few relationships, but that is private....

O yeah, sponsore once in a while classical concerts or artists.....

Here's another example, Harry:

Name = Dave.  American.  Grew up mostly in the Southwest but have lived and traveled elsewhere.  Came of age in the ‘60s and vagabonded around a bit before resuming formal education.  Have drunk classed-growth Bordeaux with captains of industry in 4-star restaurants and from screw-top bottles in paper bags with winos in the park.  Twice married, the second time for keeps.  Former athlete still pretty fit in middle age.  Have worked in a variety of occupations in different industries—presently managing development projects for a major multi-national corporation.  Live in a farm town in Northern California.  Probably bumped into Kevin at the old Café Roma once or twice.  Agree wholeheartedly with his list of things we can happily do without, except for the last:  there are many noises made by humans that contribute to my satisfaction in life, not the least of which is music.

Speaking of music: have eclectic tastes ranging from Balinese Gamelan to contemporary classical and jazz.  Love rock, too, but haven’t heard anything new and interesting in quite a few years.  Faves include Stravinsky, Sibelius, Prokofiev, Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, Brahms, Dvorak, Tchaikovsky, Debussy, Mahler, and Charles Mingus.

Believe life is a journey through which we learn to open our hearts and minds to everyday miracles, or perish in a bitter brew of cynicism, egotism, and hypocrisy.

If I were King, Congress could pass no law until they themselves had first lived under it for seven years.

Like Lao Tzu’s ideal state more than Plato’s.

And would hate to live in a world without Mexican food.

Quote from: Harry on November 30, 2007, 06:20:52 AM

I set up a CD shop in the place were I was born, the shop was famous for its extensive cd collection.

If you just closed the shop then and kept the CD collection for your own, you'd have save a hell lot of time to arrive at where you are today!  ;D

Quote from: springrite on November 30, 2007, 06:24:03 AM
If you just closed the shop then and kept the CD collection for your own, you'd have save a hell lot of time to arrive at where you are today!  ;D

I actually bought quite a lot of the stock when it went bust..... ;D

I have posted some posts already, but not introduce myself, sorry..

I am 23. I live in Kosice, Slovakia. I attend our concerts (Kosice Slovak State Philharmonic Orchestra). I play flute.

My favourite composers: Tchaikovsky, Sibelius, Mozart, Beethoven, Shostakovich, Prokofiev, Mussorgsky, Mahler, Berlioz, Ravel ...
Favourite conductors: Y. Mravinsky, V. Gergiev, C. Davis, G. Rozhdestvensky, Y. Svetlanov, F. Reiner ...
Favourite movies: Truman Show, American Beauty, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Mullholand Drive, Amelie from Montmartre, Spirited Away, The Fountain, The Village
Hobbies: listening to music, drawing, watching movies
Hobbies in past: breakdance

My english is not perfect, so sorry for any errors in my texts.

Quote from: Marcel on November 30, 2007, 06:27:56 AM
I have posted some posts already, but not introduce myself, sorry..

I am 23. I live in Kosice, Slovakia. I attend our concerts (Kosice Slovak State Philharmonic Orchestra). I play flute.

My favourite composers: Tchaikovsky, Sibelius, Mozart, Beethoven, Shostakovich, Prokofiev, Mussorgsky, Mahler, Berlioz, Ravel ...
Favourite conductors: Y. Mravinsky, V. Gergiev, C. Davis, G. Rozhdestvensky, Y. Svetlanov, F. Reiner ...
Favourite movies: Truman Show, American Beauty, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Mullholand Drive, Amelie from Montmartre, Spirited Away, The Fountain, The Village
Hobbies: listening to music, drawing, watching movies
Hobbies in past: breakdance

My english is not perfect, so sorry for any errors in my texts.

Thanks Marcel. well done my friend.... :)

Quote from: longears on November 30, 2007, 06:21:28 AM
Here's another example, Harry:

Name = Dave.  American.  Grew up mostly in the Southwest but have lived and traveled elsewhere.  Came of age in the '60s and vagabonded around a bit before resuming formal education.  Have drunk classed-growth Bordeaux with captains of industry in 4-star restaurants and from screw-top bottles in paper bags with winos in the park.  Twice married, the second time for keeps.  Former athlete still pretty fit in middle age.  Have worked in a variety of occupations in different industries—presently managing development projects for a major multi-national corporation.  Live in a farm town in Northern California.  Probably bumped into Kevin at the old Café Roma once or twice.  Agree wholeheartedly with his list of things we can happily do without, except for the last:  there are many noises made by humans that contribute to my satisfaction in life, not the least of which is music.

Speaking of music: have eclectic tastes ranging from Balinese Gamelan to contemporary classical and jazz.  Love rock, too, but haven't heard anything new and interesting in quite a few years.  Faves include Stravinsky, Sibelius, Prokofiev, Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, Brahms, Dvorak, Tchaikovsky, Debussy, Mahler, and Charles Mingus.

Believe life is a journey through which we learn to open our hearts and minds to everyday miracles, or perish in a bitter brew of cynicism, egotism, and hypocrisy.

If I were King, Congress could pass no law until they themselves had first lived under it for seven years.

Like Lao Tzu's ideal state more than Plato's.

And would hate to live in a world without Mexican food.

Thanks, reading this was a bumpy ride, but very adventurous...... ;D

Geeze, I was the first to respond, and now I feel like I didn't give enough info.   :(

So here's an addendum:

More: Am 36 years old, happily married for 12+ years, two children (8 year old son and 5 year old daughter)...work as a marketing director in the performing arts, love to cook (italian & french...iron-chef, restaurant-style cooking, not martha stewart crap), studied music and was a band director for many years, conducted some community and semi-professional groups on the side, playing in and directing in the pit these days when I can.  Also play out a lot on the "singer/songwriter" circuit as a side man from time to time.

Movies: James Bond, Pulp Fiction, Big Lebowski, Waiting for Guffman, Borat, Pirates of the Caribbean (I like escapist, entertaning  stuff...nothing high-brow there)

TV: Family Guy, The Office, Mythbusters, NASCAR, Dirty Jobs, Iron Chef

Books: Solomon's Beethoven at the moment, recently: A Brief History of Nearly Everything, some Bukowski, a few of the early James Bond books,

Scores:  I obsessively collect full scores even more than recordings. I have hundreds, from the usual suspects to the esoteric. I read scores more, much more, than I read books.

Sports: Cleveland Indians & Cleveland Browns. Yes, my heart has been broken many, many, many times. 

Girls: I'm a leg guy. Brunettes with nice legs, there's nothing finer. :)

Instruments: My main bass is a 1997 Fender Jazz.  Majored on Tuba.  Can work my way through most brass instruments. Awful at piano.  Passed my college piano proficiencies by having a certain...relationship...with the brunette, leggy instructor. :)

Listening: I do 80% of my listening to music on my iPod, either in bed, in the car, or at work.  The rest of the time I listen in my recording studio.

Studio: I'm a Mac guy.   Ableton Live, Propellerheads Reason, Steinberg Cubase, NI's Absynth, Reaktor.

Ok, so what did I forget?  :)

The addresses of the brunettes please........ ;D

Quote from: Harry on November 30, 2007, 07:15:59 AM
The addresses of the brunettes please........ ;D

(http://k-punk.abstractdynamics.org/archives/dido.jpg)

Quote from: gmstudio on November 30, 2007, 07:12:39 AM
Geeze, I was the first to respond, and now I feel like I didn't give enough info.   :(

Oh, that's nothing, Paul.

I failed to mention at all in my post that I compose and play clarinet.

Quote from: gmstudio on November 30, 2007, 07:19:11 AM
(http://k-punk.abstractdynamics.org/archives/dido.jpg)

Yeap, that will do, that will doooooooooooooooo.
Where may I find this heavenly looking lady.
I am willing......... 8)

Quote from: karlhenning on November 30, 2007, 07:20:03 AM
Oh, that's nothing, Paul.

I failed to mention at all in my post that I compose and play clarinet.

I believe you mention that in EVERY post!  (I have signatures turned on...)  ;D

Ah, well, now I don't feel so bad  8)

Quote from: Harry on November 30, 2007, 07:20:59 AM
Yeap, that will do, that will doooooooooooooooo.
Where may I find this heavenly looking lady.
I am willing......... 8)

http://www.dido.co.uk/main.html (http://www.dido.co.uk/main.html)

Quote from: gmstudio on November 30, 2007, 07:24:06 AM
http://www.dido.co.uk/main.html (http://www.dido.co.uk/main.html)

Well I dropped a email...about sponsoring....... 8)
That should do the trick!

Quote from: Harry on November 30, 2007, 07:30:32 AM
Well I dropped a email...about sponsoring....... 8)
That should do the trick!

And, see? I forgot to mention I'm a huge Dido fan in my posts. 

That's D-I-D-O, you gutter-thinkers...there's no L in there. :)

Quote from: gmstudio on November 30, 2007, 07:33:17 AM
And, see? I forgot to mention I'm a huge Dido fan in my posts. 

That's D-I-D-O, you gutter-thinkers...there's no L in there. :)

:o ::) ;D

Quote from: Harry on November 30, 2007, 06:20:52 AM
My name you know already....

Many thanks, Harry, all this time I've seen you here at GMG, most of that I never knew.

I see many members join these last weeks, please do introduce yourselfs.
It is so much more fun to know each other a little better..... ;D

Very interesting thread, and a pleasure to more formally "meet" those of you that have contributed.

I'll also do a self-introductory write-up, beyond the one I wrote when I first joined.

But will ask for your permission to wait for a month or so before I do so; not because it would take that long to compile, but because I'm expecting some news of great significance to what I would write in it. So let me get back to you mid-January, on this subject. :)

Quote from: Renfield on December 04, 2007, 02:51:00 AM
Very interesting thread, and a pleasure to more formally "meet" those of you that have contributed.

I'll also do a self-introductory write-up, beyond the one I wrote when I first joined.

But will ask for your permission to wait for a month or so before I do so; not because it would take that long to compile, but because I'm expecting some news of great significance to what I would write in it. So let me get back to you mid-January, on this subject. :)

You are making me quite curious about that, and I wonder, could I wait that long...... ;D
By all means, see your contribution next year......

I'm Björn. I'm a 21 year old student from Stockholm, Sweden.

My interests, besides music, include superficial philosophy threads, microbiology (in particular virus evolution and function, a new, rather unhealthy love for me), roleplaying games, oh, and science fiction. I'm a bona-fide science fiction nerd, can't get enough of it. Star Trek, the idea of Star Wars (that is, I mostly hate it), Stargate, Battlestar Galactica, the books of Asimov, Baxter, Banks and so on and so forth.

Recently, I have been listening to inordinate amounts of Bach, almost to the exclusion of everything else. I think I'm in the process of re-discovering him. Again.

Even if I did incline to exhibitionism, I don't think my life's story, as it is, would be of interest to anyone here, so I think I'll omit it.

Quote from: Daidalos on December 04, 2007, 06:28:18 AM
I'm Björn. I'm a 21 year old student from Stockholm, Sweden.

My interests, besides music, include superficial philosophy threads, microbiology (in particular virus evolution and function, a new, rather unhealthy love for me), roleplaying games, oh, and science fiction. I'm a bona-fide science fiction nerd, can't get enough of it. Star Trek, the idea of Star Wars (that is, I mostly hate it), Stargate, Battlestar Galactica, the books of Asimov, Baxter, Banks and so on and so forth.

Recently, I have been listening to inordinate amounts of Bach, almost to the exclusion of everything else. I think I'm in the process of re-discovering him. Again.

Even if I did incline to exhibitionism, I don't think my life's story, as it is, would be of interest to anyone here, so I think I'll omit it.

I would not want to say that Bjorn, your life story would be much appreciated....
Anyway thanks already for this contribution. ;D

Quote from: Daidalos on December 04, 2007, 06:28:18 AM
Recently, I have been listening to inordinate amounts of Bach, almost to the exclusion of everything else.

You're my kind of guy.

Quote from: Daidalos on December 04, 2007, 06:28:18 AM
I think I'm in the process of re-discovering him. Again.

I have felt that way about Bach many times.

I'm Luke, as my screen name suggests. I'm 32, was born in London, brought up in the countryside of the English midlands, and now live on the edge of the flat bit of the east of England. I am married to a school music teacher and we have two kids (girl of 6, boy of 3) who, with the greatest of respect to those of you who also have children, are the best children in the world.  ;D.

I've been obsessively fascinated by classical music since I was tiny, learnt the piano and cello to a high standard early on (though always concentrated on the former more) and wanted to compose from about the age of 11. I studied music at Kings College Cambridge (the one with the choir) and have been a music teacher in various ways since then. Mostly a piano teacher, also occasionally a cello teacher. Since last September also the head of music at a prep school (Princess Di's old one) where I started off teaching piano. Not the kind of thing I was brought up with, but Cambridge prepared me quite well for it!

Within classical music I have extremely broad tastes, musically (a collection af around 4000 CDs spread across pretty much every historical period though with obvious concentrations on particular favourite composers), and do not write off any composers with the exception of obvious Classic FM dross Arvo Part wanabees and (not in the same category) Morton Lauridsen who, whilst he may be a fine composer, induces an unpleasant nausea in me each time I listen. True fact. However, for quite a long time in recent years I was repelled by Romanticism, and this left a gaping hole in my listening - roughly, I'd listen to anything up to Beethoven and anything after Debussy) - for quite a long time. I only recently managed to dismiss the sense of distaste for long enough to listen to my first Mahler symphony in years! I'm working from the edges and hoping to meet up in the middle with Wagner at some point in the future!

So, in addition to the obvious big names, my particular favourite composers, in no order after the first one include Janacek, Ravel, Martinu, Chopin, Cage (yes, Cage), Dvorak, Part (a much less simple composer than is generally understood), Scarlatti, Satie, Tippett, Brian, Dallapiccola, Berlioz, CPE and WF Bach (and Daddy Bach of course) Stravinsky, the Second Viennese guys, Schumann, Schubert, Nielsen, Sibelius, Scriabin, Lou Harrison, and, ooh, lots of people I haven't got time to write about now.

I also compose, or try to, and the weird upheaval in my listening life coincided with one in my composing life too - in the past I have written huge orchestral pieces, but for the last few years have concentrated very much on intimate miniatures. The whole sorry process is documented on my composer's thread on this board and the old one.

a few favourites outside music:
Painters - Klee, Brueghel, early-mid Mondriaan, Kuindzhi, Wou-ki, Levitan...
Poets - Paz, Clare, Shelley, Snyder, Seferis, Rilke, Browning......
Non-fiction book - The Snow Leopard (changed my life)
Fiction  - The Baroque Trilogy
Jazzman - Miles, or Ornette
Colour - Green...


Will that do for now?

A absolute fine posting Luke, thank you. :)

This "new members" thread seems mainly populated by veteran members? ;D

All right, let me do some renewed introductions! :)

I'm 38 years old and living for the past 15 years with my girlfriend (no kids) in Leiden, the Netherlands.
I went to university there, and I'm for quite a few years now in Her Majesty's service as a legal adviser on European law. But shortly I will return to my old vocation of legislative lawyer.

I discovered classical music at the age of 14 and it has been a passion and addiction ever since, never cared for any other genre of music...  I tried to play a musical instrument in my younger years but utterly failed.  ;D I got the Bach bug when I was 21, and it changed my life. Another old favourite is Brahms - I feel a connection, can't explain. Bach is my idol, Brahms my friend. I have a fairly broad taste besides that: from Renaissance to Modernists, from opera to chamber music to organ music. Specific (current) musical interests: historical recordings, HIP and baroque. And I'm on a Haydn/Mozart binge.

Other interests than classical music: other art forms, and all finer things in life - from a proper suit to good food & wine.  :D

Q

Interesting reading.

My name is Chris, I'm 42 [on Dec 21st] years old and live on the North Shore of Auckland in New Zealand. I'm married to Maria, we've been together for 12 years and married for 7, and I have a 23 year old step-daughter. We also have a 12 year old cat named Gourmet.

I'm a professional wedding photographer with my own business which I started 5 years ago. Prior to that I was a music therapist for 13 years with my own business. And the 9 years before all that I was a lab assistant, labourer, factory worker, wages clerk, porter, barman, accounts clerk, computer operater etc.

I left school at 15 with no qualifications.

Music has always been my main interest and passion. First started collecting LPs when I was 11. I was brought up in a household where classical music was regularly played although I didn't actively explore it until I was 19 when I got the Bach and Wagner 'bug'. The classical interest waxed and waned [mostly waned] a couple of times through the years untill about 4 years ago when I attended an NZSO concert which literally changed my musical life. Since then my focus has been classical music almost exclusively especially from the Romantic era.

I also enjoy reading, but not as much as I used to, mainly classical music history books more to browse through.

I also love watching movies and TV shows on DVD boxset on my big plasma panel.

I have a half-sister who lives in Napier which is about 7 hours drive south of Auckland. She has a 13 year old daughter. My half-sister just celebrated her 20th wedding aniversary. She married a Yorkshireman in Harrogate and I attended the wedding in '87.

My parents are both in their 70s. They divorced when I was 8. My mother has poor health and lives in a retirement village in Napier with her 5th husband. My Father lives in another suburb in Auckland with his Asian girlfriend.

I live in a peaceful home called 'The Palms' surrounded by native trees and birds. I adore peace and quiet.

:)

Nice and interesting thread Harry!
I enjoy reading about the backgrounds of others, so it is only fair to write a few words about my own.

My name is Thom. I guess with my 55 years I am probably one of the oldies on this board. I am married with three children, all (more of less) grown up and not living at home anymore, which is in a little suburb of The Hague, Netherland.

I work in The Hague for a non profit organisation which aim it is to safeguard the interests of Netherlands industry. I am a manager (with a legal background; in a former life I once was an attorney at law).

My love for classical music started in my first year at University in Groningen when by chance I heard the first symphony of Gustav Mahler. It really bowled me over. I successively bought all his symphonies and my love for Mahler's music never waned. It was also the stepping stone in my ongoing exploration of other music. I prefer the music from the romantic/post romantic period, well into the 20th century. As it happens I seem to have developed a special taste for British music: Elgar, Vaughan Williams, Arnold, Bax, Tippett, Arnell, Lloyd, to name a few. Other misc. interests: reading, chess, the arts.

Due to lack of time I do not contribute that much to this forum but I have come to appreciate the discussions, views, recommendations, advice etc here very much.

Quote from: Que on December 04, 2007, 10:11:55 AM
This "new members" thread seems mainly populated by veteran members? ;D

All right, let me do some renewed introductions! :)

I'm 38 years old and living for the past 15 years with my girlfriend (no kids) in Leiden, the Netherlands.
I went to university there, and I'm for quite a few years now in Her Majesty's service as a legal adviser on European law. But shortly I will return to my old vocation of legislative lawyer.

I discovered classical music at the age of 14 and it has been a passion and addiction ever since, never cared for any other genre of music...  I tried to play a musical instrument in my younger years but utterly failed.  ;D I got the Bach bug when I was 21, and it changed my life. Another old favourite is Brahms - I feel a connection, can't explain. Bach is my idol, Brahms my friend. I have a fairly broad taste besides that: from Renaissance to Modernists, from opera to chamber music to organ music. Specific (current) musical interests: historical recordings, HIP and baroque. And I'm on a Haydn/Mozart binge.

Other interests than classical music: other art forms, and all finer things in life - from a proper suit to good food & wine.  :D

Q

Many things I did not know, thank you Que, the poster has a face now...... :)

Quote from: Solitary Wanderer on December 04, 2007, 10:56:16 AM
Interesting reading.

My name is Chris, I'm 42 [on Dec 21st] years old and live on the North Shore of Auckland in New Zealand. I'm married to Maria, we've been together for 12 years and married for 7, and I have a 23 year old step-daughter. We also have a 12 year old cat named Gourmet.

I'm a professional wedding photographer with my own business which I started 5 years ago. Prior to that I was a music therapist for 13 years with my own business. And the 9 years before all that I was a lab assistant, labourer, factory worker, wages clerk, porter, barman, accounts clerk, computer operater etc.

I left school at 15 with no qualifications.

Music has always been my main interest and passion. First started collecting LPs when I was 11. I was brought up in a household where classical music was regularly played although I didn't actively explore it until I was 19 when I got the Bach and Wagner 'bug'. The classical interest waxed and waned [mostly waned] a couple of times through the years untill about 4 years ago when I attended an NZSO concert which literally changed my musical life. Since then my focus has been classical music almost exclusively especially from the Romantic era.

I also enjoy reading, but not as much as I used to, mainly classical music history books more to browse through.

I also love watching movies and TV shows on DVD boxset on my big plasma panel.

I have a half-sister who lives in Napier which is about 7 hours drive south of Auckland. She has a 13 year old daughter. My half-sister just celebrated her 20th wedding aniversary. She married a Yorkshireman in Harrogate and I attended the wedding in '87.

My parents are both in their 70s. They divorced when I was 8. My mother has poor health and lives in a retirement village in Napier with her 5th husband. My Father lives in another suburb in Auckland with his Asian girlfriend.

I live in a peaceful home called 'The Palms' surrounded by native trees and birds. I adore peace and quiet.

:)

No wonder I like you Chris...I also have a big Plasma screen! ;D
Wonderful story, loved to read that. thank you.

Quote from: Thom on December 04, 2007, 11:50:06 AM
Nice and interesting thread Harry!
I enjoy reading about the backgrounds of others, so it is only fair to write a few words about my own.

My name is Thom. I guess with my 55 years I am probably one of the oldies on this board. I am married with three children, all (more of less) grown up and not living at home anymore, which is in a little suburb of The Hague, Netherland.

I work in The Hague for a non profit organisation which aim it is to safeguard the interests of Netherlands industry. I am a manager (with a legal background; in a former life I once was an attorney at law).

My love for classical music started in my first year at University in Groningen when by chance I heard the first symphony of Gustav Mahler. It really bowled me over. I successively bought all his symphonies and my love for Mahler's music never waned. It was also the stepping stone in my ongoing exploration of other music. I prefer the music from the romantic/post romantic period, well into the 20th century. As it happens I seem to have developed a special taste for British music: Elgar, Vaughan Williams, Arnold, Bax, Tippett, Arnell, Lloyd, to name a few. Other misc. interests: reading, chess, the arts.

Due to lack of time I do not contribute that much to this forum but I have come to appreciate the discussions, views, recommendations, advice etc here very much.

Thanks Thom, that was a informative read, and now I know Frankel is in good hands...... ;D

Beginning this does seem to resemble what happens at meetings of alcoholics anonymous...not that I have ever been to one you understand!

Oh well, here goes...

Name: Colin
Age:   60......but that's just what my birth certificate and passport say, I am really MUCH younger!!!!
Home: Perth, Scotland...a beautiful town on the banks of the River Tay and on the very edge of the Scottish Highlands. I wouldn't want
                     to live anywhere else unless it was in Norway(but I can't speak Norwegian and couldn't afford to live there anyway!)
Educated: at school in Edinburgh and the University of Edinburgh

Profession: retired in June after 37 years teaching History in secondary schools in Perth and nearby, latterly as Head of Department but
was seconded during the last six years of my teaching career as chief local negotiator on behalf of teachers in Perthshire and Kinross
in relation to conditions of employment etc. together with being the local secretary of the main Scottish teachers' trade union. In the latter capacity my duties involved helping individual teachers or groups of teachers with a very wide range of their problems.

Music: my grandfather was a church organist in Hamilton Parish Church, Lanarkshire. My father and my late brother sang in church choirs and my father was also the timpanist in an amateur orchestra during World War Two. So i grew up surrounded by music and listened to Beethoven, Brahms, Wagner etc on old 78s and on the steam radio. Ran the Music Society at my secondary school along with my good friend Malcolm MacDonald(the Havergal Brian expert and music critic aka Calum MacDonald). Musical taste..see thread on 50 Favourite Composers but basically mid 19th century onwards orchestral and choral music. Obsessive CD collector. Sadly, can't play an instrument myself.

Other interests: walking(used to climb Scottish mountains), travel to cold, northern countries(Norway, Iceland etc), watching cricket(used to be a cricket league umpire), learning to play golf, historical research-research interests include the Cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church(altho' I am not a Catholic!), the American Civil War, Japanese Admirals, Russian and German Generals in the 20th century, the Byzantine Empire(studied its history at university), the Royal Navy in the twentieth century, American politics(have compiled a 900 page guide to the US Senate 1865-2007 which I offered to the Library of Congress!), films, socialising with friends(wrote 'fiends' the first time!), the novels of John Buchan, H.Rider Haggard, Terry Pratchett, J.R.R.Tolkein......

oh sorry, I am beginning to bore myself let alone anybody else.............you probably get the general idea!

Not bored! I enjoyed this very much. I begin to see how many interesting members we have......
Its a fine thing that you have introduced yourself, thank you!

Welcome, Colin!

Quote from: Dundonnell on December 06, 2007, 03:45:06 PM
Home: Perth, Scotland...a beautiful town on the banks of the River Tay and on the very edge of the Scottish Highlands.

After Monty Python's "Australian Table Wines" skit, I have been apt to forget that there's a Perth in the northern hemisphere :-)

Dundonell: You're a guy close to my hard. I'm a fanatic reader
of books about IIWW (no military strictu sensu, but intelligence,
politics, diplomacy,espionage,cryptography.the holocaust,etc.)
What an infinite and fascinating subject! And there's so much
to discover!

Quote from: carlos on December 07, 2007, 10:51:24 AM
Dundonell: You're a guy close to my hard. I'm a fanatic reader
of books about IIWW (no military strictu sensu, but intelligence,
politics, diplomacy,espionage,cryptography.the holocaust,etc.)
What an infinite and fascinating subject! And there's so much
to discover!

My dear Carlos, what wonderful if you would post also your life in a shortened version on this thread.
Since I know little of you, I would appreciate it.
Other members, please be not shy, its internet afterall......... :)

Quote from: Harry on December 08, 2007, 07:44:44 AM

Other members, please be not shy, its internet afterall......... :)

That's possibly what they're afraid of - ours is an open, public forum, after all.

Quote from: knight on December 08, 2007, 04:12:20 PM
. . . kidnapped to that armpit known as Hamilton

When I read that, Mike, I could swear you've been to Ontario!  8)

Quote from: karlhenning on December 08, 2007, 04:14:06 PM
When I read that, Mike, I could swear you've been to Ontario!  8)

Well, Karl, most everyone has two armpits.

Mike

Quote from: E..L..I..A..S.. =) on November 29, 2007, 02:48:58 PM


Pues hablo espanol mas o menos, pero estoy aprendiendo italiano e son similares, siempre me confundo. Odio el calor! Cuando hace mas de come...25...me muero de el calor, pero voy a encontrar un buen trabajo alli.  Si hace 40 c me desmayo :(

hm, mejor que pensaba.... supongo que podras sobrevivir en Panama  8)

ok, i've never done a GMG introduction. EVER. And i like this thread. So here it is.

I'm Greg.

ok, i guess i should add more detail.....

hmmm...... when i first got into GMG i remember my first post i was asking why there wasn't a discussion about Prokofiev. I had only listened to maybe 10 or 15 or so classical CDs and this guy's music was so out there and amazing to me, and ever since joining this site a zillion years ago, i've discovered A LOOOOOOTTT of new music.

I live (near) Orlando, Florida, was born in Jacksonville, FL, currently work at a job i hate more than anything in the world (cashier at Lowe's) and plan to take a computer programming course next year and become a computer programmer as my profession. More than anything, I want to somehow compose some of the greatest music i've ever heard.... after that, i aspire

My favorite thing in the world is Mahler's music. Period. And then after that, cute, silly, funny Spanish girls and brunettes. And then Final Fantasy games...... and then other music, basketball, working out, and especially languages. And of course GMG. I don't think i'm revealing anything new at all..... :P

My favorite shows, currently, are South Park and Heroes. (what a contrast)

i am so bored right now.... tomorrow's gonna suck so much, can i stay asleep, please!!!
i abhor girls. They all suck.... except my mom is cool, but that's the only exception.  >:(

ok, ahem....... uhhh, what thread am I in? oh yeah. sorry

here's my myspace page: myspace.com/IbanezMonster

i have a short little song with me on electric guitar, just in case you didn't know i play that.... ok, that might be it

Greg........ehhhh well done my friend, its all clear now..... ;D

Quote from: knight on December 08, 2007, 04:12:20 PM
Colin, You have a couple of remarks in your biog that prompt me to respond. I read that you have been in and around Perth for a number of years. The choirs in Scotland that I belonged to, years ago, had John Currie as their choirmaster and after his jaunt in the USA, he came back and was for some years the Artistic Director of the Perth Festival. By then I was living in England. Years before I do remember singing the Monteverdi Vespers in Perth at the festival. It is a really lovely town.

The other item that popped out, was that your father was the Organist of Hamilton Parish Church. The minister of it was the Chaplin for St John's School. When I was attending that school, the Chaplin was the Rev Brown, the father of the present Prime Minister.

I could not wait to escape Hamilton. I only go back to visit my mother. As I have started in the middle, here is a bit of a more organised potted history.

Born in Glasgow, then kidnapped to that armpit known as Hamilton; I joined the Civil Service from school and have been moved up and down the UK with each promotion. I am now in Gloucestershire. My musical connection was singing in various choirs and I got quite a bit of foreign travel out of it.

Married for over 30 years...to the same woman, one son. Other interests, foreign travel, history, (various pockets of it.) Politics, though I tend to keep off it here; I have been counselling in and out of formal settings for about 25 years. I work part time in a kids project which was set up to help youngsters who want to hang out somewhere safe. My wife and I run a pastoral team in our church and in my day job I have done a range from technical tax work, investigation, management and teaching management to running projects and am presently working to London; so I am away from home and the site rather a lot at the moment.

I have met two other people from our site and hope to meet more.

Mike

Thanks Mike, the map gets outlines, that's good. Keep the good work going with this pastoral team, you do a lot of good with that I am sure. :)

Mike,

It was actually my grandfather who was the organist of Hamilton Parish Church but I remember him telling me the story of how he had his choir sing the Church of Scotland hymn "Glorious things of thee are spoken" in late 1914 only to be upbraided furiously by a retired colonel in the congregation. The colonel told my grandfather that he was giving succour to the enemy by playing a tune which also-at that time-happened to be used for the Austro-Hungarian National Anthem! The music is by Haydn and was, of course, appropriated by the Weimar Government in post-war Germany as the new republican German National Anthem.

Quote from: Harry on December 08, 2007, 11:28:17 PM
Greg........ehhhh well done my friend, its all clear now..... ;D

good, got it summed up in one...... errrr, 2, posts. just glad it didn't drag on any longer.....

Well it was time to pull this one up a bit, for introducing and all that...... :)

Names David, age 29, official forum pest and as of late misogynist extraordinaire!

Originally from Italy but i've been living near the Chicago area for this past several years. Not impressed with suburban America so far. Too bloated, neurotic, concrete everywhere, the food is dreadful and no real culture to speak of, not to mention half of the female population is made of psychopaths (seriously). You yanks are an hard working bunch though, can't take that away from ya.

Not a whole lot to say about myself. I grew up in a rural town on the outskirts of civilization. Lot's of old folks, everybody knows each other, that kind of thing. Never been good at socializing, always kept to myself, nature being my only friend. Liked to read, but i was never very good at it and i couldn't figure out why until i moved to America and i learned about ADD (after i spent my entire upbringing thinking i was lazy bum. Damn it).

In truth, music has been pretty much my only true love. I was six years old when i first made my first musical discovery with Ravel's Bolero, which was usually played during commercial brakes on TV. I'd often spend hours shuffling through the channels trying to catch it. Alas, my parents didn't care for this type of thing and as i grew older i became entangled to what was available to me, mostly rock and metal, which in retrospective never really clicked with my nature. I was 19 when i made my first classical discovery and i never looked back.

Current interests include reading (trying to catch up as best as i can. So far mostly classics and history books), cinema (favored director: Fellini. Over-rated my arse) buying as many cds as i can while trying not to go bankrupt in the process. I don't have children of my own but i have two little nieces which i love dearly and try my best to spoil them at every turn. A couple of members from either this or the other forum which i'd like to meet, but i'd doubt they would like to meet me.

Favored composers, by time period or genre:

Medieval: Machaut, Da Perugia, Solage.

Renaissance: Josquin, Gombert, Palestrina, Gesualdo.

Baroque: Monteverdi, Bach, Handel, D. Scarlatti, Zelenka.

Classical: Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven.

Romantic: Schubert, Chopin, Brahms, Wagner, Bruckner.

early 20th century: Mahler, Debussy, Stravinsky, Bartok, Enescu, Webern.

Contemporary: Ligeti, Schnittke.

Jazz: Tatum, Coltrane, Powell.

Rock: King Crimson.

Interesting contribution David. As an aside, I have just bought Satyricon, I have not seen it for probably 30 years. I am wondering how it will hold up.

Thanks,

Mike

Yes David good story, thank you very much for your contribution.... :)

Quote from: Mark on November 29, 2007, 01:13:36 PM2) It took me eight years from passing my driving test to actually driving a car

The good side of it: Britain is an island.

Quote3) I have a half-sister whom I've never met

Same here.

David; i understand you perfectly about the american food.
For an italian borne, it must be a torture. Say, if you want
to taste good italian food, came to Buenos Aires. ;) ;)

Quote from: Wurstwasser on December 14, 2007, 03:09:31 AM
The good side of it: Britain is an island.

Let me guess: you're either American or Australian, and so you'd think nothing of taking an internal flight halfway across your country to get somewhere. You must also assume that because Britain is 'small' and an 'island', everything's within easy reach? Oh, to the contrary. Travel on our road or rail networks, and you'll quickly discover that though we're just an island, we might as well be a bloody continent, given how long it takes to get anywhere. >:(

I introduced myself when I first joined several months ago, but I might as well update it.

I am Corey and I live on the Gulf Coast of Florida.

I find that I am embarrassed to read things I wrote only six months ago. I take this as a direct consequence of my age (21 at present).

My conversations with people are usually soliloquies.

I have been listening to Classical music for about 3 years.

Interests: literature, music (obviously), general history, Philosophy

Dislikes: automobiles, ignorance, nostalgia, pity

Main musical interests: Sibelius (above all), Beethoven (obligatory), Honegger, Nørgård. I like many others, but these have affected me the most.

I often come back to composers whose music I didn't like a few months ago and find I actually like them. For this reason I am reluctant to dismiss any composer outright.

Thanks for this input Corey. :)

Dear Harry,

My name is Dave. I live in Minnesota. You probably figured that out already.

I like music. Lots of music. The more the better. My wife thinks I'm crazy. She wishes I would write instead of play with my iTunes all the time. Sometimes I wish that too. But music is my heroin, so it isn't easy, man.

My favorite composers are in my signature. Sometimes the roster changes a little, but not often.

Favorite pieces: the smaller the ensemble, the better. Solo piano really gets me off.

I played trumpet in junior high and dabbled with an electric guitar only recently. I'd like to write little pop songs, but who has the time? Not me.

Quote from: MN Dave on December 14, 2007, 07:01:27 AM
Dear Harry,

My name is Dave. I live in Minnesota. You probably figured that out already.

I like music. Lots of music. The more the better. My wife thinks I'm crazy. She wishes I would write instead of play with my iTunes all the time. Sometimes I wish that too. But music is my heroin, so it isn't easy, man.

My favorite composers are in my signature. Sometimes the roster changes a little, but not often.

Favorite pieces: the smaller the ensemble, the better. Solo piano really gets me off.

I played trumpet in junior high and dabbled with an electric guitar only recently. I'd like to write little pop songs, but who has the time? Not me.

Let me talk to your wife, I will straighten this minor problem out, Dave! ;D
And thanks for the input......

Quote from: Harry on December 14, 2007, 07:11:35 AM
Let me talk to your wife, I will straighten this minor problem out, Dave! ;D

Okay, but you asked for it!  :o

Quote from: Mark on December 14, 2007, 03:33:17 AM
Let me guess: you're either American or Australian, and so you'd think nothing of taking an internal flight halfway across your country to get somewhere. You must also assume that because Britain is 'small' and an 'island', everything's within easy reach? Oh, to the contrary. Travel on our road or rail networks, and you'll quickly discover that though we're just an island, we might as well be a bloody continent, given how long it takes to get anywhere. >:(

My take of his comment: I think he is grateful that Britain is an island, because if YOU tried to reach the continent with your car, you would much more probably hit the sea than the ferry with your car.  ;D

So my bet is he lives either in Calais, Boulogne or Dunkerque.  :)

Quote from: matti on December 14, 2007, 07:14:04 AM
My take of his comment: I think he is grateful that Britain is an island, because if YOU tried to reach the continent with your car, you would much more probably hit the sea than the ferry with your car.  ;D

So my bet is he lives either in Calais, Boulogne or Dunkerque.  :)

Good thought. ;D

Quote from: carlos on December 14, 2007, 03:20:22 AM
David; i understand you perfectly about the american food.
For an italian borne, it must be a torture. Say, if you want
to taste good italian food, came to Buenos Aires. ;) ;)

I'm sorry, but this notion about the inferiority of food in America is simply a tired cliché. Of course there's plenty of fast food and crap to be found here, but that is true anywhere (some of the worst meals I have ever eaten were in Paris). Someone who lives near a major American city can certainly find more than decent Italian food and food from many other cultures. (Boston's North End is great for Italian, for example.) Living near New York City as I do, I would say there is a wealth and variety of cuisines that I have not experienced in many other cities, and that emphatically includes Europe. You just have to know where to find it, and be willing to pay for it.

Quote from: Sforzando on December 14, 2007, 07:42:11 AM
You just have to know where to find it, and be willing to pay for it.

That's the problem you see. In Italy, the best stuff is usually found among the lowly peasantry.

Quote from: Josquin des Prez on December 14, 2007, 07:47:52 AM
That's the problem you see. In Italy, the best stuff is usually found among the lowly peasantry.

Not the upper-crust peasantry, eh? ;)

Quote from: Josquin des Prez on December 14, 2007, 07:47:52 AM
That's the problem you see. In Italy, the best stuff is usually found among the lowly peasantry.

So crack open your copy of Marcella Hazan and cook it for yourself.  :D

I don't have anything favorable to say about the food in Italy (Rome/Venice/Florence).  On our European vacation, both my wife and I preferred the food in Poland, Budapest and Prague.

Quote from: Mark on December 14, 2007, 07:21:15 AM
Good thought. ;D

Yes, a very close thought. I was thinking "OMG, driving car is dangerous enough, don't know if I'd survive one more Mark here on our traffic jammed streets of Ruhrgebiet."  >:D
Food question: which folks preferred this disgusting vegamite stuff? Oztralians? NZlers? Really strange stuff.

Dear friends, please keep to the original purpose of the thread. :)

Quote from: Harry on December 14, 2007, 08:58:08 AM
Dear friends, please keep to the original purpose of the thread. :)

Your wish is my command.

I did introduce myself when I joined this Forum a few months ago, but this thread is so informative about some of the poster's I've been seeing here, that I feel stimulated to tell a bit more about myself, just so those interested get a rounder picture.

I'm 46, male (don't let my name trick you into thinking otherwise, it contains my initials JZH), married with one daughter (8 on 30 December). Classical music has been the love of my life ever since I heard Beethoven's 'Pastoral' and Wagner's Prelude to 'Die Meistersinger'. After that I immersed myself in symphonies and Wagnerian opera. Beethoven and Wagner led to Bruckner led to Mahler led to Sibelius and Shostakovich and Elgar and Brian and RVW and and and - and I'm still discovering symphonists I never heard before, like Alfvén, Atterberg and Tubin.

Later on, in 1985, I heard the Amadeus Quartet in the Kleine Zaal of the Concertgebouw in a whole Beethoven cycle, which converted me to chamber music. Some singing lessons I took introduced me to Lieder, which brought me Schubert, Schumann, Brahms, Wolf and others.

The joy of this Forum is that there are enthusastic and knowledgeable people around, who can tell me about composers I didn't know yet, or recommend performances. I have parted with my money several times, the last few months, because of the positive, well-argued judgments of some of the posters here...

My own calling: writer. I'm finishing an enormous first novel, in Dutch (I live in Delft, but was born in Amsterdam), which will be published on completion. Parts of it have been published by a leading literary magazine in Flanders. (Dutch members who would like to get a taste, can simply google my name...)

My interests are wide-ranging: politics, history, philosophy, religion et cetera. I reserve a special love for England/Britain and Scandinavia. I adore British comedy, English poetry and drama (and music, of course!), I like Nordic clarity, the clean lines. The German-speaking world, also, has always been of paramount interest to me (to whom it may mean something: my literary favourites are Kleist, Benn, Kraus, Arno Schmidt and Nestroy).

And I could go on, which I won't.

Jez

I wish you would my dear friend...but anyway, I am glad to have read this very interesting story.
Sure I will Google you, you made me quite curious.....

Quote from: Wurstwasser on December 14, 2007, 08:12:42 AM
Yes, a very close thought. I was thinking "OMG, driving car is dangerous enough, don't know if I'd survive one more Mark here on our traffic jammed streets of Ruhrgebiet."  >:D
Food question: which folks preferred this disgusting vegamite stuff? Oztralians? NZlers? Really strange stuff.

With apologies to Harry for this further digression, you may rest assured that I now drive well and safely. ;)

Quote from: Josquin des Prez on December 13, 2007, 08:12:38 PM
Names David, age 29, official forum pest and as of late misogynist extraordinaire!

oh, so we can call you David now?
(how many Italian people are there named David? lol)

Quote from: Corey on December 14, 2007, 06:02:53 AM
I introduced myself when I first joined several months ago, but I might as well update it.

I am Corey and I live on the Gulf Coast of Florida.

I find that I am embarrassed to read things I wrote only six months ago. I take this as a direct consequence of my age (21 at present).

My conversations with people are usually soliloquies.

I have been listening to Classical music for about 3 years.

Interests: literature, music (obviously), general history, Philosophy

Dislikes: automobiles, ignorance, nostalgia, pity

Main musical interests: Sibelius (above all), Beethoven (obligatory), Honegger, Nørgård. I like many others, but these have affected me the most.

I often come back to composers whose music I didn't like a few months ago and find I actually like them. For this reason I am reluctant to dismiss any composer outright.

dislikes "nostalgia"?
wow, you're crazy...... i can understand nostalgia as in those old video games grown ups feel nostalgiac about that really suck, but nostalgia in general, that's...... hm, whatever lol

Quote from: G...R...E...G... on December 14, 2007, 02:03:08 PM
oh, so we can call you David now?
(how many Italian people are there named David? lol)

(http://www.world-mysteries.com/david.jpg)

For the second time, please remember the theme of the thread.......

Quote from: Sforzando on December 14, 2007, 02:53:22 PM
(http://www.world-mysteries.com/david.jpg)

ha, good point.

Quote from: G...R...E...G... on December 14, 2007, 03:00:48 PM
ha, good point.

Stay on topic, G...R...E...G... .

Quote from: Sforzando on December 14, 2007, 04:30:15 PM
Stay on topic, G...R...E...G... .

you're not staying on topic by telling me to stay on topic, Sforzando.
Stay on topic, Sforzando.

Quote from: G...R...E...G... on December 14, 2007, 02:04:54 PM
wow, you're crazy......

I've heard that before.

Quote from: Jezetha on December 14, 2007, 12:38:37 PM
I'm 46, male, married with one daughter (8 on 30 December).

And where do you live, that such thing is legal?

Quote from: Sforzando on December 14, 2007, 07:42:11 AM
I'm sorry, but this notion about the inferiority of food in America is simply a tired cliché. Of course there's plenty of fast food and crap to be found here, but that is true anywhere (some of the worst meals I have ever eaten were in Paris). Someone who lives near a major American city can certainly find more than decent Italian food and food from many other cultures. (Boston's North End is great for Italian, for example.) Living near New York City as I do, I would say there is a wealth and variety of cuisines that I have not experienced in many other cities, and that emphatically includes Europe. You just have to know where to find it, and be willing to pay for it.

This only means one thing: that you never ate Argentine food, cooked by Argentinians, in Argentina. Too bad Nigel left, he would have been able to settle my point, in a more fashionable grammatical construction than mine.

Quote from: Manuel on December 15, 2007, 08:13:20 AM
And where do you live, that such thing is legal?

Interested?



[But funny, isn't it, that in English 'with' is not the preposition to go with 'married'...]

Quote from: Jezetha on December 15, 2007, 08:26:03 AM
[But funny, isn't it, that in English 'with' is not the preposition to go with 'married'...]

But it makes a good joke for a lazy translator anyway.
(http://www.languagerealm.com/english/efiles/married_to_with.php)

Quote from: Manuel on December 15, 2007, 08:17:56 AM
This only means one thing: that you never ate Argentine food, cooked by Argentinians, in Argentina. Too bad Nigel left, he would have been able to settle my point, in a more fashionable grammatical construction than mine.

No, it means what it said, which is a response to your claim that "if you want to taste good italian [sic] food, came [sic] to Buenos Aires." It has nothing to do with either Nigel, whoever he may be, or with "Argentine food, cooked by Argentinians, in Argentina," an culinary pleasure I freely admit to never having had experienced.

I am closing this thread for a while, because my constant request to stay on topic, falls on deaf ears.
I am sorry.

Food is a delightful thing to discuss about, but please somewhere else.
Stay on topic, for I think this is a fine thread, for the benefit of us all.
Thank you.

Name: Bill

Place of birth: Maine

Now living in: Colorado.  Right outside of Denver.  Been here since '84 and absolutely love living here.  Suspect this is where they will spread my ashes.  We live in the same house that my wife grew up in...pretty cool. 

Family: Married for 15 years+ to a wonderful gal I met here in Colorado.  Proposed to her after only knowing her for 19 days.  We have a son (9) and daughter (5) and never lose sight of knowing how blessed we are to have them, but are sometimes saddened to see how fast they are growing up before our very eyes.  We currently are the owners of three basset hounds, who are an absolute riot and make us smile even when we've had a difficult day.

Some Favorites
Favorite Composer: LvB...but am always pleased to listen to Bach, Haydn, Mozart, or Copland.
Favorite movie: Casablanca.
Favorite book: This changes, but as of now, LOTR or To Kill A Mockingbird.
Favorite TV show: Toss up between M*A*S*H* and Andy Griffith (only the ones with Don Knotts).  Also enjoy a good mystery such as Columbo, Cadfael, the Brett Holmes works.
Favorite food: Fresh lobster with a side basket of steamers or Chinese take out.
Favorite drink: As of this year, coffee (thank you David Ross)....and also love trying different teas.  For something cold, hand me a root beer.

Hobbies: Bird watching with my son; model rocketry (small time stuff); gardening.

Misc. indulgences: Listening to the baseball game on the radio or actually going to the ballpark with the family (all four of us enjoy this).

Collections beyond classical music: Universal monster stuff; Disney items (though both of these are minimal now as we are out of room); cacti and succulents (however, I know nothing about them and just enjoy adding new ones to the "growing" collection).  I am also beginning to dabble into old-time radio shows, but this may just be a passing phase.  We'll see.

Thanks Bill I really enjoy reading this.
Cacti and succulents are also in our living room, but somehow they almost always die, eaten by little animals or fungi.
The basset hounds are adorable, like them very much....

It seems that there are a lot of new members coming in from another forum, so if you feel so inclined, maybe this thread will appeal to you..... ;D, and is still open for business for all the rest of us... :)

When I saw this thread, I thought I'd post a more detailed introduction of myself, so here it is:

My name is Ray, 33 years old.  I'm from Winnipeg, Canada.  Yes, it's very cold there in the winter  ;D

My favorite composers (in approx. order):
Beethoven, Brahms, Schubert, Mozart, Schumann, Bruckner, Dvorak, Mendelssohn, Tchaikovsky, Bach, Vivaldi, Prokofiev, and many more.

My favorite type of classical music is chamber music, especially string quartets/trios/quintets, piano trios, piano quartets and piano quintets.  But I certainly enjoy orchestral music nearly as much.

How long have a been a huge fan of classical music?  A little over 3 years.

How did my curiosity and interest in classical music come about?  Interestingly, from watching Stanley Kubrick films.  I watched them often, since I'm a big fan of his films.  I realized how much I enjoyed some of the music used in his films.  I started buying the soundtracks to his movies (Barry Lyndon, 2001: A Space Odyssey, A Clockwork Orange, The Shining, Eyes Wide Shut).  A Clockwork Orange introduced me to Beethoven's 9th Symphony, and I found I was really drawn to the powerful Scherzo of the 9th.  From there, I purchased a copy of Beethoven's 9th symphony, and enjoyed it so much, I went to the complete symphonies.  That was it!   From that point, I became enthralled and passionate about classical music, and went on shopping sprees of CD's, buying books, etc.  I've never discovered anything more exciting in my life!

Other hobbies/interests:  Sudoku puzzles (the hard ones), discovered Chess in April and love it!  Board games.

I have concert subscriptions to both the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra and the Winnipeg Chamber Music Society.  I feel so blessed to have these in my city!

I'm engaged to be married in June 2008, and my fiancée has a 9 year old son.  We have 2 fat cats named Bunny and Sunshine, and a pug puppy named Beatrice.

And there is my life story......well, sort of.

Thank you very much Ray, I enjoyed reading your life story.
Two fat cats, and a Pug puppy called Beatrice, that made me smile big time.
I hope your marriage will be all you expect from it, it is that Winnipeg is a tad to far away from the place I live, but otherwise....... ;D

Let me then introduce myself too.  ;D

My name is Vladimir, I was born and then lived for 17 years in Saratov (on the Volga river), Russia (it was very cold in winter too there!). Then we suddenly immigrated to USA...so I'm here approximately a year and a half.

Two years ago I heard a little passage from the second Queen of the night aria and then my introduction to opera began (I was looking for that aria in the Internet - that was the first thing I looked for in the Internet and my beginning of using it, I'd never gone in the Internet before). I can say that before my mother took me to some ballets, operas, classical music concerts...but without any success  ;D and once I even told her that would never go to theater again. Anyway...you never know what will happen to you some day. During those two years I heard a lot...but still opera is my favorite genre of them all. Different styles, different composers...though I'm just enrolled and don't know much Wagner and Vivaldi (he did a lot of wonderful operas!), the second half of the 20-th century...though I was lucky enough to visit Metropolitan opera, listen to domingo, Pons, Netrebko and Villazon (and very proud of it  ;D)...and I'm happy that I found that classical music forum.

The only problem is that my stepfather now and my mother (just fancy! he was trying to make me love classical music and now...) are very angry with my hobby, and say it's abnormal and I can't listen to opera so much, that I'm mad. It's a little funny, but mostly sad.

I also like designing (fashion designing - here in California I even brought my works to the design institute, but my parents told that I'd be a designer over their dead bodies. so I'll be an engineer, it's not bad too, I think, as I studied in a physics-mathematics school in Russia), swimming and water in common, history, mythology, culture and architecture of Europe and East (oriental cultures), classical music in common, Shakespeare, Pushkin, Russian and English literature...there is a plenty of wonderful things...though now I see them all in the "Old World", not in Los Angeles. :( And I can say I like British English.  :-X

I think I can write more...just now have to go, if somebody has questions - just ask!  ;)

Great write up, thank you very much Vladimir.
I have strong ties with Russia, and Saratov is not unknown to me.....

Quote from: Harry on December 21, 2007, 01:39:51 PM
I have strong ties with Russia, and Saratov is not unknown to me.....

Really? We have a very nice conservatory with a real Organ, the third Philharmonics in Russia...the theater...what did you do there?

And why can't I start a new topic here?  :(

There ought to be nothing to stop you starting a new topic. Go to the room for the general subject, click on 'New Topic', just above 'Last Post' on the right hand side. You should then have template screen, give it a name and away you go. Let us know if it continues to be a problem.

Mike

Quote from: knight on December 21, 2007, 03:48:45 PM
There ought to be nothing to stop you starting a new topic. Go to the room for the general subject, click on 'New Topic', just above 'Last Post' on the right hand side. You should then have template screen, give it a name and away you go. Let us know if it continues to be a problem.

Mike

I wanted to start it here, at the Diner...as it is some kind of off topic, and at the other hand it's not off topic and concerns opera.  ;D

Come on, Sarastro, be adventurous and give it a try at the Opera and Vocal section. We need stuff to talk about there, and the worst that could happen to you, is that I, a moderator, tell you it's in the wrong place and I move it to where it should be!  ;D

uffeviking

Quote from: uffeviking on December 21, 2007, 07:47:59 PM
Come on, Sarastro, be adventurous and give it a try at the Opera and Vocal section.

I can't do it there too.  :-\

Quote from: Sarastro on December 21, 2007, 01:25:57 PM
Let me then introduce myself too.  ;D

My name is Vladimir, I was born and then lived for 17 years in Saratov (on the Volga river), Russia (it was very cold in winter too there!). Then we suddenly immigrated to USA...so I'm here approximately a year and a half.

Two years ago I heard a little passage from the second Queen of the night aria and then my introduction to opera began (I was looking for that aria in the Internet - that was the first thing I looked for in the Internet and my beginning of using it, I'd never gone in the Internet before). I can say that before my mother took me to some ballets, operas, classical music concerts...but without any success  ;D and once I even told her that would never go to theater again. Anyway...you never know what will happen to you some day. During those two years I heard a lot...but still opera is my favorite genre of them all. Different styles, different composers...though I'm just enrolled and don't know much Wagner and Vivaldi (he did a lot of wonderful operas!), the second half of the 20-th century...though I was lucky enough to visit Metropolitan opera, listen to domingo, Pons, Netrebko and Villazon (and very proud of it  ;D)...and I'm happy that I found that classical music forum.

The only problem is that my stepfather now and my mother (just fancy! he was trying to make me love classical music and now...) are very angry with my hobby, and say it's abnormal and I can't listen to opera so much, that I'm mad. It's a little funny, but mostly sad.

I also like designing (fashion designing - here in California I even brought my works to the design institute, but my parents told that I'd be a designer over their dead bodies. so I'll be an engineer, it's not bad too, I think, as I studied in a physics-mathematics school in Russia), swimming and water in common, history, mythology, culture and architecture of Europe and East (oriental cultures), classical music in common, Shakespeare, Pushkin, Russian and English literature...there is a plenty of wonderful things...though now I see them all in the "Old World", not in Los Angeles. :( And I can say I like British English.  :-X

I think I can write more...just now have to go, if somebody has questions - just ask!  ;)

Hi Vladimir, and welcome to GMG.  Los Angeles is quite different from the Volga!  :o  Hope you are enjoying yourself out there, since there is quite a bit of good music around, between the Los Angeles Opera and concerts at Disney Hall.  Too bad your parents don't understand your liking opera, but hopefully they will realize it makes you happy, and be glad for you. 

Anyway, enjoy your time here, and let us know what you're listening to. 

--Bruce

Welcome, Sarastro; I'm glad to meet you.  I'm very impressed by the amount you have learned about opera in such a short time.

Quote from: bhodges on December 22, 2007, 07:37:42 AM
Hope you are enjoying yourself out there, since there is quite a bit of good music around, between the Los Angeles Opera and concerts at Disney Hall.

Precisely, here I have more opportunities to listen to famous singers, conductors, orchestras...In summer my friend - mezzo, also from Russia, made her LA debut singing in "Alexander Nevsky" cantata by Prokofiev with a black-and-white movie of Eisenstein (one of the first russian cinema directors), then I was invited to visit Boris Godunov from Kirov Opera in Hollywood bowl and some other concerts of non-operatic classical music, at Disney Hall and Colburn school of Music. And of course LA-Opera!
But I'm sure MET's having much more than here!! I was in NYC last autumn (actually fall, but I can't get used to it), and New Jersey, it was fabulous with a real cover of fallen leaves, yellow, red, purple, and a great city, with its own architecture!

Welcome Sarastro! :D It's great to have more opera fans here, as our section is rather quiet one.  :-\  I would suggest you to ignore your parents' (and other people) opinions about opera (or classical music in general), and just enjoy what you like! I have similar problems thus I rarely talk about operas with people (some think opera is elitist and what not, how stupid!).

I talk about it to everybody  ;D that's how I did a few opera friends...they love it but didn't even expect me to love it and to know a lot about it, and after were surprised, talking about it now for hours.
It's not elitist, it's wonderful.  ;)

Of course it can be even dangerous  :-\ ...but if you don't show you like opera, and somebody else does not, then how would you know each other (especially when you are studying in the same group, it's sad)...except forums, of course.  :D

Time to bring this thread on line again.
A easy step for old and new members to introduce themselves a little more..... :)
Don't be afraid, really........

Keep trying it, for its a shame to let this fine thread go down, especially when a steady stream of members come in, and no introductions given. That feels rather barren. Introducing makes you more part of the music enthusiasts on this forum, as well see the person behind the postings. And I rather like that, and many more with me I am sure......

Quote from: HarryKeep trying it,

Let's agitate the place.




LASAGNA.

Quote from: Manuel on January 11, 2008, 05:39:34 AM
Let's agitate the place.




LASAGNA.

You show your colors very clear, and most of all, what kind of a friendly character you are.

Quote from: Harry on January 10, 2008, 11:45:47 PM
. . . as well see the person behind the postings. And I rather like that, . . .

Nosey, aren't you, Harry?  ;)

Quote from: uffeviking on January 11, 2008, 07:03:04 AM
Nosey, aren't you, Harry?  ;)

Maybe, but for the good reasons..... 8)

Quote from: Manuel on January 11, 2008, 05:39:34 AM
Let's agitate the place.




LASAGNA.

Red or green?

Well thank you thread wreckers Manuel and scriptavolant, your action has been seen and duly noted.
You should both be ashamed of yourself, but particulary Manuel, that gives his name due credit by again doing what he allready did before, namely building mischief.
I have seen on other forums what you did, so why does this surprise me Manuel.
I close the thread thanks to you guys. thank you again!

@scriptavolant

Regarding the latest
events, that might have look like some spiteful
diversions of mine,

Obliged I feel to capitulate in the sake of
friendship.

Consolidated the idea
of Manuel having something against Harry might already have.
undisturbed by this I do not want to look, for unfriendly I'm not.
rudimentary as this message would appear to be, it's my enunciation that the
scoundrel I once was is should now be
extint.

@Harry and the rest of the board:

I'm Manuel and I live in Cordoba (Western hemisphere->America->South America->Argentina->the center of Argentina).
I play the piano with enough dexterity to gain the interest of some chicks at the conservatoire (Fact that either  speaks very good of me, or reveals how easy the girls from this part of the globe are). I studied violin for two years, and as the fast learner I seemed to be my teacher wanted me to abandon both piano and Economics in an attempt to make of me a professional violinist. On the other hand, my piano teacher wanted me to abandon Economics and the violin to set my bearings on being a professional pianist.
Last October I decided to leave the conservatoire. I sometimes regret it as I realize I will hardly make any new progress on instrumental technique. I also long for that group of edible female violinists.

I'm three fifths of an Economist, as in december I finished the third of a five year degree at one of the national universities here. I want to become a stock broker first, and run a hedge fund later (provided investors doesn't realize what a scam this funds are and government doesn't legislate to dismantle them first).

I try to listen as much classical music as I can. With special interests on concertos and solo piano works. I do enjoy opera a lot, but it's a genre I haven't explored lately. Baroque and classicism never appealed to me, other than Mozart, Bach and the violin works by Tartini, Corelli et al.

Thanks Manuel, For a moment, I thought, oh Cordoba...Spain, I had a terrific holiday there; but of course, it is the Other Cordoba.

Mike

Quote from: knight on January 14, 2008, 08:58:07 AM
. . . but of course, it is the Other Cordoba.

Nebraska, Mike? (http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?formtype=address&addtohistory=&address=&city=Cordova&state=NE&zipcode=&country=US&location=PWodpIUrQxyxL2gqvFHUhv5GvwMpeaeJnS3PfaPiVc6HEF%2bMUbk%2b%2fqLP54BD86vnIQ0dgaImorbcLYQTXj2kFDnopJCTp9Yo3P7w8cmPykyP%2fnVV3aI%2fug%3d%3d&ambiguity=1)

I didn't say I'm 22.

Quote from: karlhenning on January 14, 2008, 09:05:28 AM
Nebraska, Mike? (http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?formtype=address&addtohistory=&address=&city=Cordova&state=NE&zipcode=&country=US&location=PWodpIUrQxyxL2gqvFHUhv5GvwMpeaeJnS3PfaPiVc6HEF%2bMUbk%2b%2fqLP54BD86vnIQ0dgaImorbcLYQTXj2kFDnopJCTp9Yo3P7w8cmPykyP%2fnVV3aI%2fug%3d%3d&ambiguity=1)

I would love to settle 6 miles away from a place called Beaver Crossing.

Quote from: knight on January 14, 2008, 08:58:07 AM
Thanks Manuel, For a moment, I thought, oh Cordoba...Spain, I had a terrific holiday there; but of course, it is the Other Cordoba.

Mike

Ours is called "Córdoba de la Nueva Andalucía". But we refer to it just as Córdoba, CBA, "la capital", "la capi", "this dirty hole of humidity" (the title is mine, in use when I go back to the city after having vacations in a better place)´.

Hello everyone, per Harry's suggestion, I'll introduce myself here. I've played the piano since age 5, sung in several school and church choirs, was a music major in college for 2 years before switching to a music minor (and major in linguistics & languages). I loved music theory and enjoyed ear training (I have perfect pitch so I found it quite fun), and also took conducting, orchestration, and keyboard harmony. Right now I'm considering going back to school some time in the not-too-distant future and studying composition.

My favorite genre is film music, my favorite composers being Patrick Doyle (I loved his Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire). I also love the classical pieces from the Master and Commander movie soundtrack - Mozart Violin Concerto No. 3 (K. 206), Corelli's Christmas Concerto, Boccherini's La Musica Notturna delle Strade di Madrid, Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis. My favorite classical composer is Mozart; right now I'm really into his violin sonatas as I am teaching myself to play the violin (I got myself a Suzuki Master Class Series Violin as a late birthday present for myself a few months ago).

As for the non-music part, I love to read; I recently finished the Harry Potter books (read book 7 twice in a row). I also enjoy period films such as Pride and Prejudice, Emma, The History of Tom Jones and Horatio Hornblower. I have a dog named Ludwig (my sister's dog's name is Wolfgang). My sister and I have a small business making and selling clothes and costumes for dogs and horses and we recently started a shop with gifts for musicians with original artwork (Mozartini (http://www.mozartinishop.com)). Anything else you'd like to know, feel free to ask. Nice to meet you all. :)

Welcome to GMG, franz.luigi, and enjoy yourself here!  I'm sure you will find lots of kindred spirits.

--Bruce

Interesting introduction, franz.luigi! Good to have some background. Now you're not only the 10 letters of your moniker. I hope you'll find inspiration and ideas here. I know I have (apart from bumping into the occasional obsessive, but that's only to be expected...)

Johan

Welcome, franz.luigi!

Hi, franz.luigi.  Welcome!

Thanks for the welcome, everyone. I look forward to some good discussions here and hope I can contribute somewhere.

Welcome Franz! Thank you for your introduction. :)

Quote from: franz.luigi on January 14, 2008, 02:31:05 PM
I am teaching myself to play the violin (I got myself a Suzuki Master Class Series Violin as a late birthday present for myself a few months ago).

That never works, I suggest you to get a teacher.

It can work,if you're a genius. Think on Sammons.

Quote from: Manuel on January 15, 2008, 02:09:51 AM
That never works, I suggest you to get a teacher.

I am planning on finding a teacher some time in the near future. I live in a remote area where there are no music teachers for about 40 miles. Hopefully we'll get some teachers here (our area is developing quite quickly) or gas prices will decrease soon.

Quote from: carlos on January 15, 2008, 02:27:08 AM
It can work,if you're a genius. Think on Sammons.

Do you mean that Franz Luigi still has some chance of becoming one of the top english violinists of the 20th century?

As you said, you need to be a genius (like Gerardo Gandini), otherwise the practice time is a bunch of hours you will never get back. This is how I see it: I you purchased a brand new violin and advertised yourself as a violin teacher, do you think someone's going to pay you for lessons? No, and that's because they know there's nothing you can teach them.  ;D

As initiation, new members must listen to all available Zemlinsky recordings. "paulb clips" will do.  :-*

Name: Brian
Location: Houston, TX
Introduction Type: Way too long, but perhaps entertaining in a wordy way

When he was around 8, Brian's parents bought an upright piano for the house, ostensibly as decoration but perhaps in the hope that either Brian or his little brother would want to take lessons. Both little boys every once in a while would run up and bang the keys in random fashion for fun, although Brian's younger brother preferred sticking pennies between the keys. Eventually Brian figured out how to play the Ode to Joy theme, the parents decided they wanted to learn to play, and the two kids were put in lessons. Brian was a bad little boy and never practiced. The songs he was being taught were incredibly dumb things with titles like "Ladybug on a Leaf". It became clear that for whatever reason Brian's motor skills really stunk, and his hands couldn't function independently from each other. Concerned Mom took Brian to a specialist, who said "Well .................. you could play the bass drum." The family moved and the piano was forgotten.

Which is about when 12-year-old Brian fell in love with music ... However, for about two to three years his focus was jazz and other stuff (he still worships Tito Puente and Jim Croce). But gradually classical music gained a foothold. He listened to some Beethoven (he thought it blah), Dvorak's Slavonic Dances (he thought it weird), and Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto (now this he liked). He picked up a CD of "The Very Best of Grieg" at the bookstore, but his mom said "Grieg?!?! Are you sure you want to listen to that??" so he put it back. And at some point he started making up music in his head for fun. Eighth grade, school bus home every day, an invented "piano concerto", that he made up because the ride was boring, but there were never any real themes (he can't remember them long enough to get to the recap), just the piano banging away louder and softer and really intimidating orchestral thwocks. He was eventually able to remember some of the themes, before realizing some of them were taken from real composers.

Eventually he bought the Brahms symphonies (Toscanini) and other famous things his parents didn't have. He had to get a CD rack because his collection was growing too fast. (It's now at 150 CDs. And he needs another CD rack.) And at some point in time he joined GMG (was he 15? It feels like yesterday), and when he finally got a job for the first time at age 16, he celebrated by ordering 8 CDs off ArkivMusic, pretty much the largest package of anything he'd ever gotten.

He dated once, and guessed correctly that his date, whose idea of good music was the "Flaming Lips" (a psychedelic rock band from Oklahoma), would love Maurice Ravel. Now she lives in France.*  ;D  Brian now attends Rice University, where he loves the early, middle, and late romantics, is just beginning to realize how incredible Beethoven was, still composes in his head, has excessive admiration for oddball composers like Manolis Kalomiris, Reinhold Gliere, Kurt Atterberg, Aleksandr Kopylov, and Johann Wenzel Kalliwoda, and can't decide which he is more apathetic to, really really new classical or really really old classical, though Greta and others are working on the former. Brian refuses to listen to Schubert's chamber music so he'll still have something Great to discover later in life. He has only just discovered opera.

He is a Virgo, his favorite color is red, and he is taking classes in literature, religious studies, history, and philosophy.

*He also correctly guessed that she would like Josef Suk.

Quote from: Brian on January 16, 2008, 12:42:55 PM
Name: Brian
Location: Houston, TX
Introduction Type: Way too long, but perhaps entertaining in a wordy way

When he was around 8, Brian's parents bought an upright piano for the house, ostensibly as decoration but perhaps in the hope that either Brian or his little brother would want to take lessons. Both little boys every once in a while would run up and bang the keys in random fashion for fun, although Brian's younger brother preferred sticking pennies between the keys. Eventually Brian figured out how to play the Ode to Joy theme, the parents decided they wanted to learn to play, and the two kids were put in lessons. Brian was a bad little boy and never practiced. The songs he was being taught were incredibly dumb things with titles like "Ladybug on a Leaf". It became clear that for whatever reason Brian's motor skills really stunk, and his hands couldn't function independently from each other. Concerned Mom took Brian to a specialist, who said "Well .................. you could play the bass drum." The family moved and the piano was forgotten.

Which is about when 12-year-old Brian fell in love with music ... However, for about two to three years his focus was jazz and other stuff (he still worships Tito Puente and Jim Croce). But gradually classical music gained a foothold. He listened to some Beethoven (he thought it blah), Dvorak's Slavonic Dances (he thought it weird), and Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto (now this he liked). He picked up a CD of "The Very Best of Grieg" at the bookstore, but his mom said "Grieg?!?! Are you sure you want to listen to that??" so he put it back. And at some point he started making up music in his head for fun. Eighth grade, school bus home every day, an invented "piano concerto", that he made up because the ride was boring, but there were never any real themes (he can't remember them long enough to get to the recap), just the piano banging away louder and softer and really intimidating orchestral thwocks. He was eventually able to remember some of the themes, before realizing some of them were taken from real composers.

Eventually he bought the Brahms symphonies (Toscanini) and other famous things his parents didn't have. He had to get a CD rack because his collection was growing too fast. (It's now at 150 CDs. And he needs another CD rack.) And at some point in time he joined GMG (was he 15? It feels like yesterday), and when he finally got a job for the first time at age 16, he celebrated by ordering 8 CDs off ArkivMusic, pretty much the largest package of anything he'd ever gotten.

He dated once, and guessed correctly that his date, whose idea of good music was the "Flaming Lips" (a psychedelic rock band from Oklahoma), would love Maurice Ravel. Now she lives in France.*  ;D  Brian now attends Rice University, where he loves the early, middle, and late romantics, is just beginning to realize how incredible Beethoven was, still composes in his head, has excessive admiration for oddball composers like Manolis Kalomiris, Reinhold Gliere, Kurt Atterberg, Aleksandr Kopylov, and Johann Wenzel Kalliwoda, and can't decide which he is more apathetic to, really really new classical or really really old classical, though Greta and others are working on the former. Brian refuses to listen to Schubert's chamber music so he'll still have something Great to discover later in life. He has only just discovered opera.

He is a Virgo, his favorite color is red, and he is taking classes in literature, religious studies, history, and philosophy.

*He also correctly guessed that she would like Josef Suk.

Tell Brian it's good to have him on board.

Quote from: Brian on January 16, 2008, 12:42:55 PM
Name: Brian
Location: Houston, TX
Introduction Type: Way too long, but perhaps entertaining in a wordy way

When he was around 8, Brian's parents bought an upright piano for the house, ostensibly as decoration but perhaps in the hope that either Brian or his little brother would want to take lessons. Both little boys every once in a while would run up and bang the keys in random fashion for fun, although Brian's younger brother preferred sticking pennies between the keys. Eventually Brian figured out how to play the Ode to Joy theme, the parents decided they wanted to learn to play, and the two kids were put in lessons. Brian was a bad little boy and never practiced. The songs he was being taught were incredibly dumb things with titles like "Ladybug on a Leaf". It became clear that for whatever reason Brian's motor skills really stunk, and his hands couldn't function independently from each other. Concerned Mom took Brian to a specialist, who said "Well .................. you could play the bass drum." The family moved and the piano was forgotten.

Which is about when 12-year-old Brian fell in love with music ... However, for about two to three years his focus was jazz and other stuff (he still worships Tito Puente and Jim Croce). But gradually classical music gained a foothold. He listened to some Beethoven (he thought it blah), Dvorak's Slavonic Dances (he thought it weird), and Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto (now this he liked). He picked up a CD of "The Very Best of Grieg" at the bookstore, but his mom said "Grieg?!?! Are you sure you want to listen to that??" so he put it back. And at some point he started making up music in his head for fun. Eighth grade, school bus home every day, an invented "piano concerto", that he made up because the ride was boring, but there were never any real themes (he can't remember them long enough to get to the recap), just the piano banging away louder and softer and really intimidating orchestral thwocks. He was eventually able to remember some of the themes, before realizing some of them were taken from real composers.

Eventually he bought the Brahms symphonies (Toscanini) and other famous things his parents didn't have. He had to get a CD rack because his collection was growing too fast. (It's now at 150 CDs. And he needs another CD rack.) And at some point in time he joined GMG (was he 15? It feels like yesterday), and when he finally got a job for the first time at age 16, he celebrated by ordering 8 CDs off ArkivMusic, pretty much the largest package of anything he'd ever gotten.

He dated once, and guessed correctly that his date, whose idea of good music was the "Flaming Lips" (a psychedelic rock band from Oklahoma), would love Maurice Ravel. Now she lives in France.*  ;D  Brian now attends Rice University, where he loves the early, middle, and late romantics, is just beginning to realize how incredible Beethoven was, still composes in his head, has excessive admiration for oddball composers like Manolis Kalomiris, Reinhold Gliere, Kurt Atterberg, Aleksandr Kopylov, and Johann Wenzel Kalliwoda, and can't decide which he is more apathetic to, really really new classical or really really old classical, though Greta and others are working on the former. Brian refuses to listen to Schubert's chamber music so he'll still have something Great to discover later in life. He has only just discovered opera.

He is a Virgo, his favorite color is red, and he is taking classes in literature, religious studies, history, and philosophy.

*He also correctly guessed that she would like Josef Suk.

I enjoyed this one enormously Brian, thank you....

Quote from: Harry on January 16, 2008, 01:24:52 PM

I enjoyed this one enormously Brian, thank you....

You're quite welcome, I enjoyed writing it. :)

Quote from: Don on January 16, 2008, 01:18:26 PM
Tell Brian it's good to have him on board.

It's not often we get to talk about ourself in the third person! ...  ;) ;D

Nice one, Brian.  8)

Before I left last time, I promised I'd make an introduction post here. I'm keeping that promise, as soon as I'm back.

And it could be soon. Not that you'd necessarily care to know more about me, but I did promise. ;)


Also: nice one, Brian. 8)

Geez, good to see this thread on line again.
So many members are added to GMG, that did not introduce themselves properly.
This is your chance, come, and let us know you better! :)